Making a Roman Eagle or Aquila

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This beautiful Roman artefact is a "Signus Militaris" or Aquila, the standard or flag of Roman soldiers, cast in bronze. It was found in the area of Salcuta village in Dolj County, about 20 km from the Roman site of Cioroiu Nou.

It is now the property of Oltenia Museum, and will be studied by specialists soon.

Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 27th October 2008

After donating to Oltenia Museum the real Golden Aquila, the Roman Eagle standard from ancient times, the Alexis Project decided to make a replica of the Eagle. As a first step, measurements were made of the real bronze Aquila, and good photographs of the original were made.

Lilianan Sipeanu, the Manager of the Cultural House of Scaiesti worked very hard to make an excellent replica of the eagle in clay. The next step is to make a cast of this clay model and put the cast on top of a Roman Flag.

Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 7th November 2008

It is then necessary to make a mold of the clay eagle. First, the eagle is supported by heavy steel nails in position, with the nails fixed into a foam block. These nails when removed will provide entry for the liquid casting material when the cast is made later.

Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 17th November 2008

The eagle is carefully laid in a suitable plastic container, and a very smooth plaster of paris mixture is poured around and over the eagle, filling the container to the brim.

When the plaster is at least partially set, a thin knife is used to mark the eventual breaks in the mold. The plaster is turned out of the plastic container, and the marks are continued down to the level of the clay eagle from the bottom as well as the top.

Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 17th November 2008

When the plaster is completely hard, a rectangular reservoir is carved into the top of the mold, then the mold is broken apart and the nails are removed. The clay is then very carefully completely removed from the inside of the mold, ready for the liquid casting material.

Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 17th November 2008

Now we are ready for the casting process. First some lead pipe is melted over the gas stove.

Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 21st November 2008

The mold is prepared by first clamping it together, then all the joints are sealed with plaster, leaving the sprues, or holes for allowing lead in and air out, clear.

Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 21st November 2008

Lead is poured into the rectangular reservoir on top of the mold, and down the sprues. Then the cast is left to cool down.

Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 21st November 2008

The plaster mold is removed, leaving the shiny silver coloured lead cast. Note that the hot lead melted the foam plastic on which the eagle had rested, and formed a cast of that as well.

Photo: Adrian Gheorghe 21st November 2008

The cast now stands alone. It remains to remove the sprue casts, as well as the thin flat casts of the gaps in the plaster mold, and clean up the cast.